Her chest tightened, and she hurried to get back in the car before...

  Before what, Fleurine? She couldn’t answer that question. After returning to the palais, she rushed inside their suite. Marti followed.

  She turned to him. “Where’s Emma?”

  “Still talking to Raoul about living here instead of a dorm near the university. I’m going to shower and get ready.”

  By the time Emma came in, Fleurine had showered and put on her dress for the evening. She would have to wait another night to go back to her apartment. “I’ve been waiting for you.”

  “It won’t take me long to get dressed.”

  “Marti told me you were talking to Raoul about living here at the palais while you attend college.”

  “Yes. He said it was fine with him.”

  Fleurine drew in a quick breath. “That may be, but it’s really up to Jean-Louis, who runs the palais. In any event, I want you and Marti to live with me at my furnished apartment if you end up staying in Paris. My place has a guest bedroom and a sofa that is a pullout bed. You and Marti can live with me for as long as you want.”

  “But he already loves it here at the palais, and Raoul lives here. He said he’ll always be willing to help us.”

  “Emma, there’s something you don’t understand. Raoul only stays here when he comes to Paris on occasion. He lives in the chateau on the estate and runs it.”

  A frown broke out on her face. “Why are you being negative about this?”

  Whoa...

  She leaned forward. “I guess you didn’t understand what I told you at the house. This palais has been turned into a hostel for returning vets. It’s Jean-Louis Causcelle’s humanitarian project to help returning vets. No women live here.”

  “But—”

  “No buts, Emma. Raoul and his brother are doing this favor for our family, but it’s only through tomorrow. Once you pick up your cars, it’s over. Look at all they have provided. We can’t take any more advantage of them. Their family arranged to buy both of you a car. They opened bank accounts for you and are giving us an evening out to remember forever. Tonight has to be the end of it.”

  Her sister sat down on the end of one of the beds, not happy with their conversation. “Raoul is the most fabulous man I’ve ever met or known, Fleur. I can’t begin to explain how he makes me feel. He’s bigger than life and so handsome I can’t think when I look at him.”

  Stifling another moan, Fleurine got up from the chair. “The Causcelle triplets have a reputation for making women feel that way. Just remember they come from a family of remarkable people like their father. Louis Causcelle gave our father the head dairy job all those years ago. They are decent, honorable people. As Maman says, they’re in a league all their own. We need to show respect.”

  Emma walked over to the closet to get her dress. “Maman said Raoul is the only one not married yet.”

  She struggled not to say anything. “That’s right. When he does come to Paris, his evenings out with glamorous women are on the news. It’s clear he’s a confirmed bachelor.”

  One eyebrow lifted. “Maybe not for much longer.”

  Non, non, non.

  Fleurine’s stomach muscles clenched in response. “Please tell me I didn’t hear you say that.”

  “What’s wrong with you, Fleur? You’re not my mother.”

  True. That’s what she sounded like to her twenty-four-year-old sister. Fleurine headed for the door. “It’s time to go. Marti is waiting for us in the living room.”

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  “RAOUL?”

  Pascal’s voice could be heard through the crowd of diners seated in the big dining room restaurant aboard the Capitaine Fracasse. Raoul stood up and motioned him over to their table. Janelle accompanied him along with an attractive, redheaded woman.

  After he hugged his cousin and Janelle, Pascal said, “Raoul, I’d like you to meet one of my father’s new assistants at the Sorbonne, Dr. Sylvie Moreau. She’s an historian who’s an expert in Egyptology.”

  “My oncle Blaise is a fortunate man,” Raoul commented and shook her hand. “May I introduce you to the Dumotte family from La Racineuse. Fleur is the top software engineer at Aire-Tech. Emma and Marti will be attending the Sorbonne starting tomorrow. It will be their first college experience.”

  “I know what that’s like,” Sylvie said and smiled with a genuine warmth Raoul could feel. “If you need anything, come to the office of Dr. Causcelle in the history department, and I’ll be happy to assist you in any way I can. I know you’re going to love it there.”

  “Thank you,” they murmured.

  Raoul sat down at the rectangular table next to Dr. Moreau. Pascal and his wife sat on his other side. They faced Jean-Louis and the Dumotte family, and dinner was served.

  While his amiable cousin and wife talked to Fleurine and her siblings, Raoul made a monumental effort to drag his attention from the woman who had captured his heart and focus it on the woman they’d thought might be perfect.

  She came as a pleasant surprise. Throughout dinner they discussed her teaching schedule and the latest history books his oncle Blaise had written. Raoul found she’d led a fascinating life during her work in Egypt. When the cruise ended, he told her he would get in touch with her the next time he was in Paris.

  Two limos were waiting for them when they went ashore. “You’ve done me a favor, cousin. I’ll be calling you soon.”

  “What do you know.” A smiling Pascal gave him a hug. Jean-Louis left with the three of them.

  Raoul followed Marti into the limo with the others. They raved about the salmon fillets with spinach mousse and asparagus. When they arrived at the palais, Raoul helped them out and went into the foyer with them.

  “I’ll say good-night to all of you here.”

  “Won’t you come in for a little while?” Emma pleaded with him. “We want to thank you for everything.”

  “You already have a dozen times. Unfortunately I have to leave for the airport at six in the morning. But Jean-Louis will be by at seven to drive you to pick up your cars.”

  “I wish you didn’t have to go.” She sounded upset. “When will you be back in Paris?”

  “Because of my workload, I can’t answer that question, Emma. But you and Marti will be in perfect hands with my brother and Guy.”

  For the first time all evening he turned to Fleurine. She stood there wearing the same black dress she’d worn last evening. He thought she looked a little pale.

  “Dennis will keep you and your mother well-informed about your father.”

  “Thank you for everything you’ve done for us, Raoul. We’ll never forget your kindness.” Her tone sounded genuine, but he heard no softness in her.

  “This has been something our whole family has wanted to do for you and your family for a long time. Now I’ll say good-night and a final adieu.”

  Just leave, Causcelle, and never look back. Don’t gaze into my eyes that once upon a time revealed that my heart, body and soul were yours.

  He strode down the hall to the elevator and went up to his suite. After getting ready for bed, he made a call to his pilot. The other call to his assistant on the estate kept him busy for another half hour while they discussed some problems needing solving. It helped him from turning inside out over Fleurine.

  Knowing he’d sent Simone the picture he’d taken of her children the night before, he climbed under the covers to sleep. Then his cell rang. It was Jean-Louis checking in with him. He tapped to accept the call. “Don’t you ever go to bed?”

  His brother laughed. “Pascal seems to think you hit it off with his father’s assistant tonight. With that red hair, she’s one attractive woman, frérot.”

  “She is, but I lied to him so he wouldn’t be disappointed until I told him the truth later.”

  His brother let out a groan. “I knew it! What kind of chemistry is it going to take? You need to move to the other side of the planet and start over.”

  “Never. With Dumotte headed for prison, home is where I’m staying for good. Think about it. Our father has been alone twenty-nine years. He could never replace our mother. I’ve been alone ten years and have decided I take after him. Like father, like son. Have a good night. You’re the best. I’ll call you tomorrow evening.”

  He hung up and buried his face in the pillow, praying for sleep.

  His prayer wasn’t answered. He relived that time on the estate when Fleurine had been the love of his life. His body thrashed around as he thought of old man Demotte, the monster who’d created the situation in which Raoul found himself at this very moment. Fleurine had undergone a seismic change, and there wasn’t a damn thing he could do about it. What haunted him now was this darkness closing in on him, choking the very life out of him.

  * * *

  During the night, Fleurine was in so much agony over Raoul she couldn’t sleep. His final words of goodbye played through her mind and body over and over again. When he’d used the word adieu, it felt as if a javelin had sliced her heart into a million pieces. Historically, the word adieu meant goodbye forever.

  She hadn’t used that word when she’d rejected him, but he’d internalized her goodbye that way. Tonight he’d used the word and he’d meant it because it had come from the depth of his being.

  Unable to bear the pain of what she’d done and the hurt she’d caused him, she put on a robe and went in the other room not knowing where to turn. By tomorrow night she’d be sleeping at her apartment. That’s when she heard quiet sobbing coming from the couch. “Emma?”

  Her sister sat up. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to waken you.”

  “You didn’t. I couldn’t sleep either. Why are you crying?”

  “It doesn’t matter.”

  “Of course it does.” She sat down across from Emma. “Tell me what’s wrong.”

  “I feel like a fool.” Her voice trembled.

  “Why?”

  “You saw what happened earlier tonight. That woman came on the cruise with Raoul’s cousin and wife and sat next to him. I thought I’d have time to really talk to him during dinner. I’d hoped to make some plans with him, but she took over and left me no chance. You heard what he said when he drove us here. He’s leaving for La Racineuse in a few hours, and I don’t know when I’m going to see him again. I can’t stand it.”

  Neither can I.

  “He runs the entire estate, Emma, yet has taken time out to look after our family after our father’s arrest. Now he has to get back.”

  “I know. So I’ve been thinking about not going to the Sorbonne. I’d rather go home and keep working at the fromagerie. That way I’ll be able to see him a lot and try to get him interested in me.”

  With those words, Fleurine got up from the chair, unable to sit still. “You could do that, but do you really want to give up the opportunity of a lifetime?”

  “You don’t understand, Fleur. I’ve fallen in love with Raoul. It happened the second I met him. That may sound crazy to you, but I know it’s real.”

  Fleurine’s eyes closed tightly as she hugged her arms to her waist. “I believe you. In fact, I once had the exact same experience.” The time had come to tell her sister the truth.

  “Who was it?” Emma asked. “Why didn’t you tell me about your old boyfriend when we were back at the house?”

  “Because I wasn’t ready to share. My love for this man began when we were in grade school on the estate. He was a year older than I. During recess we’d play together. Every school day I waited for recess like it was Christmas Day.”

  “How cute.”

  “He was the cutest boy at school. I dreamed about him every night.”

  “That sounds serious. I never felt like that about a guy until I was a senior and met Vince while I was walking past the hothouse on my way home from school. He was really cute too. We met there a few times, but someone told our father they’d seen us together talking. He forbade me from being anywhere around Vince since I’d be married soon to a man he’d chosen for me.”

  Fleurine shivered. “As horrible as that sounds, it’s nothing compared to what happened to me.”

  “Tell me everything.”

  “My life centered on him. When he wasn’t there, my day was ruined. I longed for middle school so we could begin having some classes together. My whole world turned to heaven the day we had a history class. We couldn’t sit by each other, but he’d pass me notes. You’ll never know how happy it made me.

  “Pretty soon he’d be waiting for me on my way home from school. We’d talk by the fence until I had to go.”

  “Did you ever sneak off with him someplace?”

  “Never. I was too afraid of our father. But the worst news came in secondary school when he told me that he had to leave the estate and go to college. I almost died hearing that news. He asked me to meet him at the hay barn where he worked so we could say goodbye.”

  “How awful he had to go away.”

  “You’ll never know my pain. Anyway, I made him some mannele for a farewell gift and rode my bike to the barn. He took me and my bike inside and shut the barn door. It was the first time we’d ever been alone where no one could see us.”

  Emma sat up straighter. “What happened?”

  “He started kissing me, then he proposed.”

  “He what?”

  “His plan was to come back to the estate at Christmas. I would have just turned eighteen, and we could run away and get married. He promised to love me forever and take care of me. I’d never known such joy in this life, but it was short-lived.”

  “Why?”

  Fleurine trembled. “Papa found out I was in there and opened the barn door. Worse, he held a rifle and aimed it straight at us.”

  “Oh, Fleur—”

  “He said, ‘Get your hands off my daughter or I’ll shoot you dead this instant.’”

  At that point Emma jumped off the couch and ran over to embrace her. “I can’t even imagine how terrifying that must have been for you. I knew our father was crazy, but to threaten you!”

  “It was truly horrifying, Emma. He ordered me to get in his truck outside. I started throwing up before he drove me home. I never knew what happened to the guy who’d proposed to me until later because Papa drove me to his sister’s house in Switzerland that night. He spread the lie that I’d gotten married. Nothing could have been further from the truth.”

  “I remember Maman saying you’d gone away to get married. I didn’t understand.”

  “How could you? I was kept prisoner there until Maman’s money helped me escape on Christmas Day. She’d sent me a present and a note that said the boy I’d loved was fine. I was so thankful and took a train to Paris to start a new life where I changed my name legally. That way our father couldn’t find me.”

  Emma stepped away from her. “That was ten years ago. Who was the guy, Fleur? You can’t leave me hanging, not after everything you’ve told me.”

  Now came the difficult part. “Raoul.”

  In the dim light, Fleurine watched her sister’s face crumble. Emma paced the floor for a minute, then whirled around. “The Raoul Causcelle we were with tonight?” Her cry resounded in the living room. “He asked you to marry him? Why in heaven’s name didn’t you tell me the second I told you how I felt about him?”

  She took a deep breath. “Because it was past history. We hadn’t seen each other in ten years, and our lives have gone in different directions. We’re strangers to each other at this point.”

  Emma shook her head and stared at her. “I don’t believe a love like that just disappears. It’s probably the reason why he has never married and the reason he has been so good to our family. I couldn’t understand why such an extraordinary, out-of-this-world man would do what he’s done for us. Now it’s making sense.”

  “Emma—”

  “He’s still in love with you, isn’t he? Come on. Be honest.”

  Fleurine looked away. “After we accidentally met here in Paris and he found out I’d never married, he wanted to get back together. I told him it wasn’t possible because we weren’t the same people anymore. He had his life, and I had mine.”

  Her sister shook her head. “You mean you’d rather be in Paris working as a software engineer than be married to him? Are you insane?” Her voice rang out again. “I’d give anything on earth to meet such a fantastic man. I just wish I’d known about the two of you before I threw myself at him. I’ve made a fool of myself.”

  “No, you haven’t, Emma. Don’t ever think that. It’s my fault.” Fleurine knew she was hurting. “I should have said something back at the house before we flew here with him. But Maman told me to say nothing until the situation with our father had been resolved. My hands were tied.”

  “Well, there are no secrets now. I want to know how you saw him again here in Paris.”

  “Let’s sit down, and I’ll tell you everything.”

  For the next half hour, she explained the circumstances. When she’d finished, Marti suddenly appeared out of the woodwork.

  He smiled. “At last I understand what’s been going on since that detective drove us home from the fromagerie. Everyone working there has speculated about Raoul’s single status. To think you’re the woman Raoul loves! That’s the coolest thing I ever heard. He’s the best!”

  “I found that out the day I met him years ago.”

  “No wonder he’s remained single all these years, because you’re the best too. So, what’s stopping you? All that malarkey about being strangers is a crock. You fell in love as kids. That kind of love never goes away.”

  “Oh, Marti!” She hugged him hard. “My cruel rejection hurt him. He’ll never forgive me.”